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Young's Literal Translation
`Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing.
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Origen of Alexandria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 253
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, straining out a gnat, that is, putting from them small sins; swallowing a camel, that is, committing great sins, which He calls camels, from the size and distorted shape of that animal. Morally, The Scribes are those who think nothing else contained in Scripture than the bare letter exhibits; the Pharisees are all those who esteem themselves righteous, and separate themselves from others, saying, 'Come not nigh me, for I am clean.' Mint, anise, and cummin, are the seasoning, not the substantial part of food; as in our life and conversation there are some things necessary to justification, as judgment, mercy, and faith; and others which are like the seasoning of our actions, giving them a flavour and sweetness, as abstinence from laughter, fasting, bending the knee, and such like. How shall they not be judged blind who see not that it is of little avail to be a careful dispenser in the least things, if things of chief moment are neglected? These His present discourse overthrows; not forbidding to observe the little things, but bidding to keep more carefully the chief things.
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 19-20
Not only among the Jews but among ourselves as well, we find people sinning in these ways. They are swallowing camels. People of this type frequently show off their religion even in the smallest of things. They are rightly called hypocrites for wanting to exploit their religiosity before men but being unwilling to undertake that very faith which God himself has justified. Therefore the imitators of the scribes and Pharisees must be dislodged and sent away from us, lest a woe touches us in the same way it touches them. The scribes could be described as those who valued nothing found in the Scriptures except its plain sense interpreted legalistically. Meanwhile they condemn those who look into the very depths of God himself. Mint and dill and cummin are only spices for food but are not themselves substantial food. What substantive food would mean in conversion would be that which is necessary for the justification of our souls—faith and love—unlike these legalisms, which are more like condiments and flavorings. It is as if a meal might be thought to consist more of condiments and flavorings than the food itself. The seriousness of judgment is neglected while great attention is given to minor matters. Spiritual exercises which in and of themselves are hardly justice are spoken of as justice and compassion and faith. It is lacking in justice to treat these small parts as the whole. When we do not offer to God the observance of all that is necessary for worship, we fail altogether.
Hilary of Poitiers (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 367
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
And because it was much less guilt to omit the tithing of herbs than a duty of benevolence, the Lord derides them, Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Hilary of PoitiersAD 367
Commentary on Matthew 24.7
What is lost is the hidden dimension of the evil will. These hidden things of the mind bring about these distortions of the law. The law prescribes that a tenth be given, so they measure out a tenth of a measure of mint and dill but only in order that they might be thought by other men to fulfill the law. They abandon mercy and justice, faith and every form of benevolence. Yet these are the true duties of man.… God laughs at the superficial diligence of those who measure cucumbers. God laughs at our attempts to swallow camels, as if the sins of avoidance were less serious than the sins of consumption.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
The Lord had said above that they bound heavy burdens upon others, which they themselves would not touch; He now again shows how they aimed at being correct in little things, but neglected weighty matters.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73
Then He derides them for folly also, because they bade them disregard the greater commandments. And yet before He had said the opposite, that "they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne." But these things too they did again and were doing everything for the corruption of those who were subject to them, in little things requiring strictness, and despising the great.
"For ye pay tithe," He saith, "of mint and anise, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone."
Here then He naturally saith it, where it is tithe and almsgiving, for what doth it hurt to give alms? But not to keep the law; for neither doth it say thus. Therefore here indeed He saith, "These ought ye to have done;" but where He is speaking about clean and unclean, He no longer adds this, but makes a distinction, and shows that the inward purity is necessarily followed by the outward, but the converse is no longer so.
For where there is a plea of love to man, He passes it over lightly, for this very reason, and because it was not yet time expressly and plainly to revoke the things of the law. But where it is an observance of bodily purification, He overthrows it more plainly.
Then, to show that there is no harm arising from despising bodily cleansings, but very great vengeance from not regarding the purifications of the soul, which is virtue, He called these "a gnat," for they are small and nothing, but those other a camel, for they were beyond what men could bear. Wherefore also He saith, "Straining at the gnat, and swallowing the camel." For indeed the one were enacted for the sake of the other, I mean of mercy and judgment; so that not even then did they profit being done alone. For whereas the little things were mentioned for the sake of the great, and after that these last were neglected, and labor was spent on those alone, nothing was gained even then by this. For the greater followed not the lesser, but the lesser were sure to follow these greater.
But these things He saith to show, that even before grace was come, these were not among the principal things, or amongst those upon which men should spend their labor, but the matters required were different. But if before the grace they were so, much more when high commandments had come, were these things unprofitable, and it was not meet to practise them at all.
In every case then is vice a grievous thing, but especially when it does not so much as think it needs amendment; and it is yet more grievous, when it thinks itself sufficient even to amend others; to express which Christ calls them "blind guides." For if for a blind man not to think he needs a guide be extreme misery and wretchedness; when he wishes himself to guide others, see to what a gulf it leads.
But these things He said, by all intimating their mad desire of glory, and their exceeding frenzy concerning this pest. For this became a cause to them of all their evils, namely, that they did all things for display. This both led them away from the faith, and caused them to neglect what really is virtue, and induced them to busy themselves about bodily purifyings only, neglecting the purifications of the soul. So therefore to lead them into what really is virtue, and to the purifyings of the soul, He makes mention of mercy, and judgment, and faith. For these are the things that comprise our life, these are what purify the soul, justice, love to man, truth; the one inclining us to pardon and not suffering us to be excessively severe and unforgiving to them that sin (for then shall we gain doubly, both becoming kind to man, and hence meeting also ourselves with much kindness from the God of all), and causing us both to sympathize with them that are despitefully entreated, and to assist them; the other not suffering them to be deceitful, and crafty.
But neither when He saith, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone," doth He say it as introducing a legal observance; away with the thought; neither with regard to the platter and the cup, when He said, "Cleanse that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also," doth He bring us unto the old regard for little things, but on the contrary indeed, He doth all things to show it to be superfluous. For He said not, Cleanse the outside of them also, but that which is within, and the outside is sure to follow.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
The Lord had commanded, that for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites, whose portion was the Lord, tithes of every thing should be offered in the temple. Accordingly, the Pharisees (to dismiss mystical expositions) concerned themselves about this alone, that these trifling things should be paid in, but lightly esteemed other things which were weighty. He charges them then with covetousness in exacting carefully the tithes of worthless herbs, while they neglected justice in their transactions of business, mercy to the poor, and faith toward God, which are weighty things.
The camel I suppose to mean the weighty precepts, judgment, mercy, and faith; the gnat, the tithing of mint, anise, and cummin, and other valueless herbs. The greater of God's commands we swallow and overlook, but show our carelessness by a religious scrupulousness in little things which bring profit with them.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Matthew
(Verse 24) Blind leaders, straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel. I believe the camel refers to the understanding of the present situation, the magnitude of the teachings, judgment, mercy, and faith. The gnat, on the other hand, represents the tithing of mint, dill, cumin, and other cheap herbs. We devour and neglect these great commandments of God, while showing diligence in matters of religion that bring profit and have little importance.
Pseudo-Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 500
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, because these covetous Priests, when any one did not bring his tithes of the smallest thing, made it a matter of grave reprehension; but when one injured his neighbour or sinned against God, they were at no pains to reprove him, careful only of their own profit, neglecting the glory of God, and the salvation of men. For to observe righteousness, to do mercy, and to have faith, these things God commanded for His own glory; but the payment of tithes He established for the support of the Priests, so that the Priests should minister to the people in spiritual things, and the people supply the Priests with carnal things. Thus is it at this time, when all are careful of their own honour, none of God's honour; they jealously protect their own rights, but will not bestow any pains in the service of the Church. If the people pay not their tithes duly, they murmur; but if they see the people in sin, they utter not a word against them. But because some of the Scribes and Pharisees, to whom He is now speaking, were of the people, it is not unsuitable to make a different interpretation; and 'to tithe' may be used as well of him who pays, as of him who receives, tithes. The Scribes then and Pharisees offered tithes of the very best things for the purpose of displaying their righteousness; but in their judgments they were unjust, without mercy for their brethren, without faith for the truth.
Remigius of Rheims (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 533
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
In these words the Lord shows that all the commandments of the Law, greatest and least, are to be fulfilled. They also are refuted who give alms of the fruits of the earth, supposing that thus they cannot sin, whereas their alms profit them nothing unless they are careful to keep themselves from sin.
Gregory the Dialogist (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 604
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Mor. i. 15.) Or otherwise; The gnat stings while it hums; the camel bows its back to receive its load. The Jews then strained off the gnat, when they prayed to have the seditious robber released to them; and they swallowed the camel, when they sought with shouts the death of Him who had voluntarily taken on Him the burden of our mortality.
Theophylact of OhridAD 1107
Again He reproaches them as foolish for disdaining the greater commandments while demanding strict observance of the lesser; nor do they overlook a tenth part of the cumin, but tithe that as well. And if anyone accused the Pharisees of nitpicking, they would cite the law in their defense. It would have been better and more God-pleasing if they had required discernment and mercy and faith from the people. What is discernment? To do nothing unjust or unreasonable, but rather to do everything with good judgement and with reason. Mercy follows immediately upon discernment. For he who does all things with discernment knows to whom one ought to give alms. And faith follows mercy, for he who is merciful and gives alms, has faith that he will lose nothing but will receive everything. Or, in another sense, one must show mercy but also believe in the true God. For there were many pagan Greeks who gave alms, but did not believe in the living God and did not have that faith that follows mercy. Every teacher, then, must tithe his people, that is, require from the ten senses, five bodily and five spiritual, the one tithe consisting of discernment, mercy, and faith. "These ought ye to have done," the Lord said, not to exhort them to tithe herbs, but so that He not appear to be in opposition to Moses. He calls them blind guides because by priding themselves in their teaching and extensive knowledge, they were of benefit to no one, but rather, they corrupted every one and cast them into the pit of unbelief. He says that they strain the gnat, meaning that they keep close guard over the slightest sin, while they swallow the camel, that is, disregard the great sins.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
In Matthew 23:24, Jesus delivers a scathing indictment against the Scribes and Pharisees, labeling them "blind guides" who meticulously observe trivial religious rules while flagrantly disregarding the weightier moral and ethical demands of God's law. This memorable hyperbole of "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel" vividly exposes their profound hypocrisy, spiritual blindness, and distorted priorities, highlighting a legalistic approach to faith that prioritizes outward conformity over genuine righteousness and love.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated within the powerful and extended series of "woes" that Jesus pronounces against the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew chapter 23. These denunciations begin in Matthew 23:13 and continue through Matthew 23:36. Immediately preceding Matthew 23:24, Jesus condemns the religious leaders in Matthew 23:23 for their scrupulous tithing of even the smallest herbs (mint, anise, and cummin) while simultaneously neglecting "the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness." Verse 24 serves as a vivid, hyperbolic illustration of this exact point, emphasizing their misplaced priorities and profound spiritual blindness, acting as a memorable punchline to the preceding accusation. The entire chapter functions as a climactic exposé of religious hypocrisy, contrasting external piety with internal corruption.
Historical & Cultural Context: First-century Jewish society, particularly among the Pharisees, placed a high value on adherence to the Mosaic Law and the oral traditions that had developed around it. Purity laws were paramount, dictating what could be eaten, touched, and how one could remain ritually clean. Insects like gnats were considered unclean according to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:20-23), and meticulous Jews would strain their drinking water or wine through cloth to avoid accidentally ingesting even the smallest insect, which would render them ritually defiled. This practice, though rooted in a desire for purity, could become an obsessive focus on the minute details of the law. In stark contrast, camels were large animals explicitly declared unclean and forbidden for consumption by the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:4). The image, therefore, presents a ludicrous scenario: someone painstakingly removing a tiny, ritually unclean gnat from their drink, only to then deliberately consume a massive, equally unclean camel. This cultural backdrop highlights the absurdity of the Pharisees' selective obedience and their prioritization of ceremonial minutiae over substantive moral and ethical principles.
Key Themes: The verse powerfully encapsulates several recurring themes throughout Jesus' ministry and the Gospel of Matthew. Hypocrisy is central, exposing the stark contrast between the religious leaders' outward show of piety and their inward moral corruption. They presented themselves as righteous guides, yet their actions revealed a deep spiritual disconnect, as Jesus warns against in Matthew 7:15. This leads to the theme of Misplaced Priorities, where Jesus highlights their focus on trivial aspects of the law (straining out a gnat) while neglecting the "weightier matters" of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). By calling them "blind guides," Jesus underscores their profound Spiritual Blindness, their inability to perceive true righteousness, and their dangerous incapacity to lead others effectively, a warning echoed in Matthew 15:14. Finally, the verse critiques Legalism versus True Righteousness, demonstrating how an obsessive adherence to rules and traditions, devoid of genuine love for God and neighbor, ultimately misses the heart of God's law and leads to spiritual barrenness.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew 23:24 is rich in literary devices that amplify Jesus's condemnation. The most prominent is Hyperbole, the deliberate exaggeration for emphasis. The image of straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel is physically impossible and ludicrous, designed to create a vivid and unforgettable picture of extreme disproportion. This hyperbole functions as a powerful Metaphor, where the gnat represents the minor, ceremonial aspects of the law, and the camel symbolizes the "weightier matters" (justice, mercy, faith) that the Pharisees neglected. The entire statement is steeped in Irony, as those who claim to be spiritual guides and meticulously observe the law are shown to be spiritually blind and morally inconsistent. They are fastidious about trifles but careless about fundamentals, creating a stark and ironic contrast between their professed piety and actual practice. This use of vivid, memorable imagery makes Jesus's critique both cutting and enduring.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly critiques a religious system that prioritizes external ritual and legalistic adherence over the internal transformation of the heart and the practice of genuine love and justice. The "blind guides" represent any spiritual leadership that, through misplaced priorities, leads people away from the true essence of God's will. Jesus consistently emphasized that true righteousness stems from a pure heart and manifests in actions of love, mercy, and justice, rather than mere outward conformity to rules. This passage serves as a timeless warning against the dangers of hypocrisy and the spiritual peril of focusing on the trivial while neglecting the foundational commands of God's character and kingdom. It underscores the New Covenant emphasis on inward transformation and a faith that expresses itself through love, rather than a rigid adherence to external regulations.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 23:24 calls us to a profound self-examination of our own spiritual priorities and practices. It challenges us to look beyond outward appearances and traditions, asking whether our faith is genuinely rooted in the "weightier matters" of justice, mercy, and faithfulness, or if we are inadvertently "straining at gnats" while "swallowing camels" in our own lives. This verse warns against the insidious nature of legalism, which can lead us to judge others based on superficial adherence to rules while overlooking our own deeper moral failings. True spirituality is not about a checklist of dos and don'ts, but about a transformed heart that seeks to honor God authentically and love our neighbors genuinely. We are called to cultivate spiritual discernment, ensuring that our zeal is directed towards what truly matters to God—compassion, integrity, and a heartfelt pursuit of righteousness—rather than becoming entangled in trivialities or self-righteous displays.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What exactly does "strain at a gnat" mean, and why is it significant?
Answer: The King James Version's "strain at a gnat" is an archaic translation. The original Greek (G1368, diÿlízō) more accurately means "to strain out" or "to filter out." In ancient Jewish culture, people would strain their drinks (like wine) through cloth to remove any impurities, including tiny insects like gnats. This was done to avoid ritual defilement, as even small insects were considered unclean according to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:20-23). The significance lies in the Pharisees' meticulous, even obsessive, attention to these minor ceremonial details, demonstrating their extreme scrupulousness in outward religious observance.
Why does Jesus use such a strange metaphor involving a gnat and a camel?
Answer: Jesus uses this metaphor for its powerful hyperbole and irony. The gnat represents the smallest, most insignificant detail of ritual purity, while the camel represents a massive, equally unclean animal (Leviticus 11:4). The image is intentionally absurd: to painstakingly filter out a tiny gnat from a drink, only to then deliberately consume a huge, forbidden camel. This stark contrast vividly illustrates the Pharisees' profound hypocrisy and misplaced priorities. They were scrupulous about minor religious traditions but shockingly negligent concerning the "weightier matters of the law" like justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). It's a memorable way to expose their spiritual blindness and distorted moral compass.
Is this verse only applicable to the Pharisees, or does it have broader relevance today?
Answer: While Jesus's immediate audience was the Scribes and Pharisees, the principles embedded in Matthew 23:24 are timeless and universally applicable. The verse serves as a perpetual warning against hypocrisy, legalism, and misplaced priorities in any religious or spiritual context. It challenges believers across all generations to examine their own hearts and practices, ensuring that their faith is focused on genuine love for God and neighbor, justice, and mercy, rather than merely external observances, traditions, or trivial rules. It reminds us that God desires truth in the inward being (Psalm 51:6) more than outward show.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 23:24 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus's perfect embodiment of true righteousness, which stands in stark contrast to the legalism and hypocrisy he condemns. While the Scribes and Pharisees strained at gnats and swallowed camels, meticulously observing the letter of the law while neglecting its spirit, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law's true intent. He declared that he came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17), not by rigid adherence to external minutiae, but by embodying perfect love for God and neighbor. Jesus consistently prioritized mercy over sacrifice (Matthew 9:13), demonstrated compassion for the marginalized, and lived out the "weightier matters" of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), offering a righteousness not based on human effort or legalistic observance, but on his atoning work and grace. Through Christ, believers are freed from the burden of trying to earn salvation by straining at gnats, and instead are invited into a relationship founded on the transformative power of the Spirit, where love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). He is the true and perfect guide, whose spiritual vision is unclouded, leading us not into blind legalism, but into life abundant (John 10:10).